Strasburg's Warinner likes OSU's BCS chances in 2013

Many college football experts think the Ohio State Buckeyes will be legitimate contenders for the BCS National Championship this season. Strasburg High School graduate and current OSU assistant coach Ed Warinner believes there’s a chance.

Many college football experts think the Ohio State Buckeyes will be legitimate contenders for the BCS National Championship this season.

Ed Warinner believes there’s a chance.

“It’s hard to say,” said Warinner. “Anything can happen. We feel we have a team that has all the pieces in place to be successful and make a run.”

Warinner, a 1979 Strasburg High School graduate and current Ohio State co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, spoke to a good-sized crowd of Buckeye boosters at the Dover Public Library on Thursday night.

“First, you have to win your side of the Big Ten. Then, you have to win the Big Ten championship,” noted Warinner. “Then, if you win the Big Ten championship, you have to be picked by the pollsters to be a team in the final two. You just have to take it one game at a time and focus on the task at hand.”

“We have a good team and a team that can win games. If everything falls right, who knows what will happen. We have high expectations and we’re looking to have the best season possible.”

Warinner was hired by OSU head coach Urban Meyer, and helped the Buckeyes average more than 240 yards rushing and 37 points per game.

Overall, Ohio State averaged 423 yards per game as the Buckeyes finished the season with a spotless 12-0 record.

“It was rewarding,” said Warinner, who wore a ring sporting 12-0 on his hand. “It’s hard to go undefeated. It’s only happened six times at Ohio State. To say you coached on one of the undefeated teams in the history of Ohio State football is rewarding.”

And Warinner feels the Buckeyes can be just as potent in 2013.

It all starts with his group.

“We have four seniors returning that started last year, and every single one of those guys improved in the offseason,” said Warinner. “We have a great offensive line.”

That line was directly responsible for the offensive success the Buckeyes had in 2012.

Braxton Miller is back for a third season at quarterback after rushing for 1,271 yards and passing for 2,039 last year. Carlos Hyde is established at tailback off a 970-yard, 16-touchdown season, and the receivers have gone from a liability to a strength.

“We have 10 starters returning on offense,” said Warinner. “We have depth at running back, a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, and I think three of four pretty good receivers that are legit fast. I think we have both depth and talent on offense. We were No. 1 in offense in the Big Ten last year, and hopefully expand upon that.”

Warinner was named the 2012 Offensive Line Coach of the Year by Offensive Scoop, an online resource for coaches, and the Big Ten Assistant Coach of the Year by ESPN.

Page 2 of 2 -
He also has coaching experience at Notre Dame, Kansas, Illinois, Air Force, Army and Michigan State.

He spent much of the 90-minute talk discussing his 30-year journey through the collegiate coaching ranks that spanned from East Lansing, Mich., to West Point, N.Y., to Colorado Springs, Colo., to South Bend, Ind., and now, Columbus.

Warinner, who had a stellar career at quarterback at Strasburg under Hall of Fame coach Ron Hurst (who was in attendance) and played in The Times-Reporter Charity All-Star Football game, later graduated from Mount Union College in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and earned a master’s degree in education from the University of Akron in 1985.

He and his wife, Mary Beth, have three children, daughters Madisyn and Meredith, and son Edward.